I felt nervous, butterflies skittering across my ribcage as I stood before the mirror in my bedroom staring at myself in a dress, one moment away from throwing up in a trash can. I wasn't a dress kind of girl. I was a flannel-wearing, mud-covered, lasso wielding kinda girl. But I didn't think wearing flannel when singing this particular song would be the best tribute. 

So I had burrowed through my closet and discovered that... I didn't own a dress. I wasn't much of a shopper. I was wearing one of my mom's baby blue wrap dresses and looked so much like her as I stared in the mirror, that it had taken me several long moments before I could move away. It left me stunned, my heart aching for someone I couldn't get back.

My hair fell in styled loose curls around my face, making me feel vulnerable. I never left my hair down for very long. 

Maybe this is too much. Maybe I should have just worn the flannel. I debated with myself the entire way back to the tents after changing, my brown cowgirl boots crunching through the gravel and grass as I walked. 

I wasn't sure if I made the right decision, until Orion, who had agreed to meet me at the entrance to the singing competition tent stopped in his tracks, seeming to stiffen, frozen in place. He looked me over, his mouth slightly open as a breath left him. His eyes sparked with purple light. The parts of his hair that weren't covered by his hat lit with purple sparks for a moment.

Then composing himself he walked towards me, the color washing away. "You look different." 

I rolled my eyes. "I know. Nothing like a ranch girl. I actually look beautiful," I said laughing, hoping to make the entire conversation less awkward.

He shook his head. "No. You always look beautiful. Just a different kind of beautiful." 

He looked away for a moment, seeming surprised by his own words, jaw clenched. I stared, startled, unsure of what to say. 

Orion cleared his throat. "Are you ready?"

My stomach squeezed itself in a chokehold as we walked backstage, the sound of a duet filling the tent with a sweet melody. "No. I feel like I am gonna throw up."

"If you get nervous, just look at me," he said calmly. "I'll be right there with you." The stage lights cut across his face, creating sharp shadows along his jaw.

"Cool. So you're okay if I throw up on you then?" I placed my hands on my rib cage, trying to calm myself, trying to suck in air.

"I would prefer if you didn't. But if it will help... I guess I can wear a tarp." He grinned. I felt my heartbeat quicken under his gaze, under the realization of what I was about to do. I wasn't ready. I needed to get my heart to stop doing that. 

Growing serious, I gave him a sharp nod, finding it hard to breathe as the song on stage came to an end. It was almost time. "I appreciate you helping me, but as soon as the song is over I am going back to ignoring you. Unless you want to start answering my questions." 

I fixed him with a hard stare, doing my best to distract myself from the fact that I was about to go embarrass myself in front of hundreds of people.

He smiled, his eyes brightening, causing me to catch my breath. The audience cheered as the two singers took their bow. "Fine by me. Ignoring it is." I scoffed. "Hey." His voice shifted, taking on a strong calm, his eyes softening. "You can do this, Alina." 

I really hope so.

As I heard my name called, I forced one foot in front of the other until I was on stage, blinded for a moment by the bright stage lights. Striding up to the microphone before I could second guess myself, I shook off the desire to pass out. That would be worse than sucking at performing. Keep it together, Alina. 

I glanced at Orion, who stood to my left, a few feet behind me, fingers ready on the strings. Fear filled me as the crowd went quiet, over a hundred eyes watching. Orion smiled at me and gave an encouraging nod as he adjusted the guitar strap across his shoulder. 

When I nodded back, he began to play. I picked the microphone off of the stand and closed my eyes, readying myself. I can do this. 

I turned to look at Orion as I began to sing, You Will Be Found, needing to ignore the audience for a moment. Needing to pretend that I wasn't standing before a crowd.

"Have you ever felt like nobody was there?

Have you ever felt forgotten in the middle of nowhere?

Have you ever felt like you could disappear?

Like you could fall, and no one would hear?"

I looked away from Orion, growing in confidence as my voice stayed steady. I got lost in the music as I turned to face the audience and continued.

As my voice rose, my heart whirled with excitement, on the verge of bursting. It felt like magic as I stood on that stage, sharing a song. I looked out at the crowd and saw my dad. He was crying all over again. I smiled at him, doing my best to not burst into a mix of laughter and tears. 

You big softie.

As the song neared its end, an eerie shadow bloomed across the white backdrop at the back of the tent, large behind the audience. The magic seemed to vanish from the moment, leaving me singing on auto pilot as I took in something that left me itching to scream.

I kept the panic from my voice as my eyes trailed over a large rock monster, staring right at me, eyes of fire boring into mine.

No one else had seen it yet. It would cause a panic once they did and I didn't want anyone to get hurt, to burn under that chilling gaze.

I sang the last note, pushing past the anxiety in my chest, and I looked over at Orion whose eyes were glued to the monster. The look on his face said it all. He glared at the creature with a familiarity that proved just how many secrets he was keeping. 

Orion finished the final notes with a graceful strum that nowhere near matched the darkness in his eyes, twin threats that promised murder.

The crowd erupted into cheers, but it felt muddled, far away as Orion took my arm and pulled me backstage. "I need to get you out of here," he whispered urgently.

I glanced back towards the stage, my heart hammering wildly. 

Why was that thing here?

"What about everybody else?" He stared at me for a long moment. I shook my head at the look in his eyes. "No," I said pulling my arm free. "I am not leaving my dad in a tent with that crazy monster thing."

He looked at me urgently, his voice hard with a warning. "Alina—" He reached for my arm again but I took a step back and shook my head.

"No." I took off running, determined to find my dad.

Orion swore and ran after me. The crowd was distracted by the next performer. Rock music filled the tent, drowning out all sound around me. My dad was nowhere in sight. 

Dad! Where are you?

I spun, trying to find, him, mind panicking. As the drums began on stage, I heard a low growl from the monster as it began to move, eying me as it slunk across the back of the tent.

Change of plans. 

I ran across the tent and plucked up a lasso sitting in a pile of props and ran towards the monster without another thought. All I could think about as I moved was how much I needed to protect my dad and everyone else in the tent. I need to get it out of here.

It saw me racing toward it, and growled, narrowing its magma eyes appraisingly. I threw my lasso around its neck as I reached the edge of the tent, and pulled as hard as I could with one hand. 

Bolting outside of the tent, I yanked at the monster, pulling it out behind me, forcing it from the view of the others left behind. Its roar was lost with the loud electric guitar being played on stage inside. I had slipped back into my cattle rancher mode, pretending I was dealing with a wild animal, and not a monster that could melt me with its hands.

Orion stumbled out of the tent after us, watching in shock as I tied the monster around a nearby tree. It was dark out, and we were at the edge of the festival, but the rock monster wouldn't go unnoticed for long.

"That won't hold it!" Orion shouted. "Move back!" 

I jumped away as the monster ripped the tree from the ground, still tied in the lasso. It swung its head in my direction before letting out an angry cry and barreling towards me. 

Orion slammed into the creature with a deafening crack, sending them both sprawling. The lasso snapped, the tree splintering as they rolled, limbs, fire and light wrestling for control.

After several moments, Orion landed on top and ripped the monsters arm off. It turned to ash that sparkled like crystals as it fell through Orion's fingers, flying off in the wind. 

The monster hit Orion on the side of the head with it's other hand, sending him flying back. Orion landed in the grass a short distance away in a crouch, eyes black, face filled with rage. 

He stumbled to his feet and launched at the creature again, body transforming mid jump, blazing with wild light, hair flashing red, body transparent, swirling with colors and constellations.

I turned away as the rest of the monster was destroyed, sparks of crystalized ash exploding and whipping away in the night wind, beautiful and eerie in the moonlight

I quickly picked up the lasso that had fallen to the ground and looked at Orion who was breathing heavily, exhausted as the light dimmed from around him, turning him back into the boy I knew. 

He stumbled several steps in my direction, and after a moment, collapsed at my feet. 

---

Thank you for reading chapter eleven! I hope you are enjoying the story! Or are at least curious to see where it goes!

UPDATE DAYS - A NEW CHAPTER EVERY WEDNESDAY AND FRIDAY!

The Rock Monsters came back! What will happen next?!?

Will Alina confront Orion again? 

Will Orion play it off? And if so, what will Alina do?

Now that Orion is passed out, will more monsters come?

CHAPTER QUESTION - Have you ever gotten pretty for an event and it didn't go as planned? How did it go?